1. Field of the Invention.
The invention relates to a marking machine for metallurgical products, in particular continuous cast products, comprising at least one marking die and a striking device for striking the marking die into the product to be marked.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known, machines of this type are used to provide metallurgical products, in particular continuous cast products such as billets, slabs inter alia, with a marking, which is composed of one or more joined up marks. To carry out the marking the die provided with the mark is brought into the striking position and then driven into the product to be marked with the aid of the striking device. The aim in the process is a striking depth that is as high and uniform as possible and a marking repetition rate which is as fast as possible. This also applies, in particular, to markings with a plurality of dies used one after the other.
In the known marking machines of the type mentioned at the outset the striking device is equipped with a hydraulic drive (EP 0094369 A2). Both the overall construction and the overall control are expensive owing to the cylinders, valves, connecting lines and other equipment required for this. Their relatively slow and imprecise mode of operation is also a drawback.